omar and i took asher to books and books on saturday to hear lynne rossetto kasper talk about her new book, the splendid table’s how to eat supper. i was excited. omar was very excited. and asher loved all the attention he was getting from ladies. his enthusiasm led the two of us outside onto the patio where i could see ms. rossetto kasper and the audience smiling and laughing but couldn’t hear a thing…except asher’s giggles, which isn’t all bad. what better way to pass the time than order a glass of wine and some hummus. omar joined us later and we poured over the cookbook.
sunday night we decided to try the book out. flash chicken saute with cider and almonds and for the side, spring grill of asparagus and scallion salad. the chicken was very good but the salad – amazing. the dressing/sauce that goes on top is beyond good. as i was stirring it together a significant portion ended up in the belly. i was tasting for seasoning…
omar snagged a few fingerfuls before dinner and was quite boisterous with his enthusiasm. i feigned disgust when he compared it (“in a good way and tons better” he said) to the sauce that goes on a big mac. i couldn’t be too frustrated with his comparison because only seconds earlier i thought to myself, “wow, this is like the frito-lay onion dip but in a good way and only tons better.”
it’s turning into prime asparagus season so this recipe might come in handy. and i’ve always wanted to know what to do with the rest of the scallion bunch when i only needed something like 2 tablespoons for a recipe. here’s my solution.
spring grill of asparagus and scallion salad
adapted from the splendid table’s how to eat supper by lynne rossetto kasper and sally swift
dressing
1 medium shallot, minced
1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
salt and pepper
2 teaspoons coarse dark mustard (note: i used spicy brown mustard)
5 tablespoons heavy whipping cream (note: i added a bit more to thin it out)
salad
1 bunch pencil-slim asparagus (1 pound), trimmed of tough ends
3 bunches scallions (20 or so), trimmed of roots and of 1 inch of their green tops
1 to 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
1. for dressing. blend the shallot and vinegars with the salt and pepper to taste. mix in mustard and heavy cream. taste for seasoning and set aside.
2. set oven rack about 5 inches from the broiler. preheat the oven to 450F. cover a large baking sheet with foil. spread the asparagus and scallions over the sheet in one layer (use two if needed). sprinkle with olive oil and a little salt and pepper.
3. roast for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the asparagus is barely tender when pierced with a knife (you should hear them sizzling). turn on the broiler and broil for about 2 minutes. the scallions whould have some browned leaves and the asparagus should pick up color. if some of the pieces are browning faster, feel free to pull them out and set them aside to wait for the other pieces to finish.
4. pile the vegetables on a platter, and zigzag the dressing over them.
